A. F. & A. M. Jamesport Lodge No. 201

This lodge was first instituted and chartered May 30, 1860, but events which culminated in precipitating the Civil War upon the country caused the lodge to suspend after being in operation one year. This suspension coupled with almost anarchy which pervaded the country caused the records to be lost and no information can be secured of matters of interest pertaining to it prior to the reorganization, April 5, 1866, nearly five years after its suspension. After peace had been declared and a year had elapsed to allay the bitter feelings engendered by four years of strife, the members who had survived the shock of battle and still made their home in James-port determined to reorganize the lodge, and accordingly Right Worshipful John D. Vincil, D. G. M., of Missouri, was called and the reorganization was effected at the date above written.

The names of the members who were present at its reorganization are as follows-the officers elected and installed appearing first in the list, then the appointives: James T. Allen, W. M.; S. L. Doty, L. W.; T. Cain, J. W.; William K. P. Allen, Treas.; J. W. Miller, Sec’y; John Devorss, S. D.; R. A. Mann, J. D.; and H. Hartman, T. The members were Robert Grove, Edward Smith, John Robinson, L. Chenoweth, Joseph Chenoweth, Isaac Chenoweth, W. P. Rowland, W. J. Thornberry, Samuel Gillilan J. P. Hutchison, John H. Miller, William Blackburn, R. Gillespie, James Graham, George Allen and Perry Goben.

The time of meeting is on Saturday night on or before the first full moon in each month. The building, or lodge room, is owned by an association known as the Masonic Hall Association, from whom the room is rented for the sum of forty dollars per year.

A greater interest in Freemasonry has never before been shown in this section. At every meeting petitions for membership are presented, and there are now nine candidates awaiting the conferring of the several degrees.

Knights Salvage Corps

The order of the Knights Salvage Corps, a temperance organization, was instituted October 3, 1881, and elected as the first officers, C. D. Knight, president and F. R. Chambers, secretary.

Those who join this order are required to subscribe to the following oath: “We, the undersigned, in the presence of Almighty God and these witnesses, do solemnly promise and swear that we will not drink any intoxicants for the space of twelve months from this date, so help us God. And we further agree that every one who violates this pledge shall pay to each of the others the sum of five dollars.”